Grant of the Francqui Foundation « Francqui Fellowship »

The Belgian American Education Foundation, Inc. (B.A.E.F.) is also created by Emile FRANCQUI. The Francqui Foundationworks together with the Belgian American Education Foundation, Inc.(B.A.E.F.) in its program of grants for young Belgians who wish to complete their education at an American University. The Francqui Foundation provides the necessary funds to make it possible for Belgians, chosen from among the most promising candidates selected by the B.A.E.F., to stay for one year in the United States.

Lien BECKERS (Landon Clay – Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research on the ApoE in microglia as a disease regulator in MS – KULeuven – to Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Laboratory at Center for Neurologic Diseases – Prof. Dr. Oleg Butovsky – On the 18th of January 2017, I moved to Boston to start as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in the lab of Prof. Dr. Oleg Butovsky. During this year, I could passionately conduct high-quality research on how microglia modify their function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease at one of the most renown universities in the world. My colleagues and I were a good functioning team who supported each other on each level. Gradually, I developed the mindset and experience of a driven and confident researcher that knows how to publish in high-impact journals, as reflected by one co-authored publication of our work in the well-recognized Immunity (Cell) journal and one first-author paper in preparation. I could further specialize and broaden my knowledge and skills by following the course “Advanced digital image analysis with ImageJ” and attending the “Central Nervous System Diseases Summit” GTC Conference in Boston, the “Grant Circle Program” and the “Mentor Circle Program”.

This opportunity allowed me to build a great professional network that extended the broad Neuroscience community at Brigham & Women’s hospital (where I worked) and Massachusetts General Hospital till other universities including MIT, Tufts, Boston University, Brown, and Yale. I became a member of the Postdoc Networking Committee that organizes monthly events for all postdocs at HMS. In addition, being a member of the Harvard-MIT Belgian Society led to exciting opportunities for my professional and social life. We organized scientific, cultural and social events on a regular base, and hosted professional Belgian delegations from Industry and Academia such as Chamber of Flemish Enterprises (VOKA) and Leuven Mindgate through HMS, MIT and Boston city.

Now, exactly one year later, I moved to NYC and finished my first weeks at Columbia University in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Philip De Jager and Dr. Elizabeth Bradshaw whom I met during my time at HMS. I feel confident and excited to start my second postdoctoral training in the new Center for Translational and Computational Neuro-immunology & the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Care and Research Center.

Thank you very much to the Francqui Foundation, Mr. Landon CLay and B.A.E.F. for this unforgettable inspiring experience!

From the end of 2015 I started working as a postdoctoral fellow (funded by Kom op tegen Kanker 2016-2019) at the laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT) at the VUB in the framework of antitumor immunotherapy. In that year however, I noticed a lack of drive, enthusiasm and confidence to believe in myself as a valuable scientist. Furthermore, the LMCT was the lab where I conducted my master and PhD thesis, so it felt difficult to come up with novel ideas and project applications in that same lab. On the 7th of November 2016, I left off to NYC, in the hope to learn new techniques, broaden my professional network and hopefully even find my drive for science back…

When I started my research stay in the laboratories of Profs. Brian Brown and Miriam Merad at the Tisch Cancer Institute of Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, I immediately realized that there was a lot for me to learn. Both professors are extremely passionate and clever scientists, which had a contagious effect on me. Furthermore, via them I had the opportunity to meet and learn from other experts in the field of antitumor immunology such as Profs. Joshua Brody, Nina Bhardwaj and Hélène Salmon. Moreover, working side-by-side with driven scientists from all over the world, was an eye-opening experience.

As such I learned new techniques (confocal microscopy, formation of 3D spheroids for in vitro cancer research, CRISPR-Cas9 technology,etc.) as well as about new software tools to analyze data (FlowJo, Fiji, Imaris,…). Additionally, the numerous labmeetings, seminars and conferences broadened my knowledge and critical way of scientific analysis. To exemplify the benefits listed above; when I applied for an FWO grant (Krediet aan Navorsers) in 2016, I wasn’t honored. When I applied again in 2017, using my new skills, way of thinking and network, I received a positive answer, allowing me to start working on my own project at the VUB. So not only did I learn new techniques and broaden my professional network, but I also found my passion for science back. The latter not only substantiate my eager to continue my postdoctoral research project, but are also invaluable to mentor and motivate young scientists at the VUB.

Besides the superlatives on the professional level, I cannot end this report without thanking you for what this opportunity did to my personal well-being.

2015-2016

Frédéric BOUCHE – Postdoctoral research on flowering time control in brachypodium distachyon – ULg – to University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry dept. – Prof. R. Amasino

Nicolas LECONTE – Postdoctoral research on transport and hall physics in strained graphene – UCLouvain – to University of Texas at Austin, Dept. of Physics – Prof. R. Hazeltine

Thomas MERTENS(Landon Clay-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research in theoretical high-energy physics : string theory – UGent – to Princeton University – Dept. of physics – Prof. H. Verlinde – Our work focused on holography in a specific model of a two-dimensional dilaton-gravity theory in Anti-de-Sitter space. It turned out this model is very important for the low-energy description of one-dimensional quantum mechanical Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models, which have attracted a lot of attention recently. In particular, we analyzed the model and deduced boundary reparametrization equations in terms of so-called Schwarzian derivatives. We also applied this formalism to study a two-dimensional evaporating black hole. Our findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal JHEP as JHEP 1607 (2016) 139.
I am extremely grateful to the Francqui Foundation for its support during this time, which has been very important in building my scientific career.

Jérémy ODENT – Postdoctoral research in smart polymeric materials – UMons – to Cornell University, College of engineering – Prof. E. P. Giannelis – Dynamic polymer systems, where specific bonds or interactions can selectively undergo reversible breaking and restoration under certain conditions have been the focus. We thereby developed organic-inorganic hybrids consisting of a soft polymeric canopy bound to a well-defined nanoparticle core by ionic interactions. The rapid exchange between the ionically modified nanoparticles and the polymeric canopy ultimately provides the opportunities for multi-responsive properties. Building on this ionic motif, we first showed that conventional, non-responsive PLA can endow shape-memory behavior by blending commercial PLA with imidazolium-terminated glassy PLA and rubbery P[CL-co-LA] oligomers and adding anionic silica nanoparticles (DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b00195). During the stay, we further extended the design to polymeric materials based on imidazolium-functionalized polyurethane canopy and ionic sulfonated silica nanoparticles (DOI: 10.1039/c7ta04101b). All in all, the ionic nanocomposites lead to a unique property profile that combines simultaneous improvements in stiffness, toughness and extensibility as well as return to the normal state after deformation including shape-memory and self-healing. Finally, the fabrication of large-scale 3D objects using stereolithography were addressed (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201701807).

Jana ASSELMAN – Postdoctoral research in Ecological and environmental genomics – UGent – to University of Notre Dame, dept. of Biological Science – Prof. M. Pfrender – The project focused on the effects of pollution and climate change on the important freshwater species the water flea, Daphnia. During the stay, the effects of different types of stressors (arsenic, salt, cyanobacteria, …) on populations of different water fleas were studied. Indeed, water fleas are used as a standard species for ecological risk assessments of many chemicals. Within the project molecular methods were used to study the effects of chemical and natural stressors. Specifically, we used sequencing to look at both gene expression and epigenetic effects. The results show that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in the response of the water flea in stressful and polluted environments. The results also provided new insights into the genome and transcriptome structure of different water flea species. This research stay led to collaboration with other research groups (Indiana University (USA), Birmingham University (UK) and various publications in international scientific journals ( https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201630 , https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/8/4/1185/2574101http://www.g3journal.org/content/7/5/1405 )

Pieter COULIER – Postdoctoral research on the solution of large scale computing problems – KULeuven – to Stanford University Mechanical and Engineering Dept. Prof. E. Darve
Pieter’s postdoctoral research at Stanford University focused on the development of fast linear algebra algorithms for the solution of large scale computing problems. Many numerical methods in science and engineering involve solving linear systems of equations; traditional solution methods for such systems requires a computational cost that becomes prohibitive for large matrices, however. There is consequently a strong need to develop more efficient numerical solvers, and many efforts in this direction have been made during the past 40 years. During his research stay at Stanford, Pieter created and implemented the first of its kind solver with linear complexity, and he demonstrated that this solver outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods for several important problems. This new method is expected to have a large impact on many applications in science and engineering, in which performing linear algebra operations is the critical computational bottleneck. Pieter’s stay at Stanford has also been successful in terms of establishing interdisciplinary research collaborations, both at Stanford itself (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Chemical Engineering) and elsewhere (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nagoya University, University of Texas at Austin).

Anne-Catherine HEUSKIN – Postdoctoral research on the Clustering model in cells exposed to HZE particles – FUNDP – to UC Berkely, Cancer System Biology – Prof. S. Costes
Estimating cancer risk from space radiation has been an ongoing challenge for decades primarily because most of the reported epidemiological data on radiation-induced risks are derived from studies of atomic bomb survivors who were exposed to an acute dose of gamma rays instead of chronic high-LET cosmic radiation. In the frame of this post doc research, we introduced a formalism using cellular automata to model the long-term effects of ionizing radiation in human breast for different radiation qualities. This approach lays the groundwork for further investigation into the impact of chronic low-dose exposure, inter-individual variation and more complex space radiation scenarios.

Jan-Walter DE NEVE (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research in Immunology & infectious diseases – ULB – to Harvard University – Graduate Studies – Public Health (M.P.H./Ph.D.) – As a Collen-Francqui Fellow, I completed the Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree at Harvard University’s School of Public Health. The MPH program is an intense, accelerated program of nine months, mostly geared towards junior and mid-career physicians as well as other medical professionals. It provides the opportunity to take basic coursework in most areas of public health, including biostatistics, epidemiology and social and behavioral sciences research; and an exciting ‘practicum’ where I was able to put learned theory and skills into practice. The flexibility of the program allowed me to take additional coursework of personal interest, including in global health, the economics of healthcare, and public health law. In total, I took about a dozen classes over the course of the year. Within the MPH program, my chosen concentration was ‘Global Health and Population’. This chosen area of interest is mostly focused on improving the health of disadvantaged populations worldwide. In addition, the MPH program has allowed me to further develop a research project, which looks at the link between formal schooling and health outcomes in low-resource settings. In particular, we assessed the causal effect of additional secondary schooling on HIV infection risk in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of this work are now published here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(15)00087-X/fulltext

Tom SERCU – MS in data science – Ugent/Stüttgart- to NYU – MS in Computer science, focus on machine learning – As Francqui Foundation Fellow I studied in the MS in Data Science at New York University (NYU) from 2013 to 2015. This 2-year masters program has allowed me to specialize in my domain of interest, machine learning (specifically deep learning) through courses and research. Specifically I worked on a IARPA-funded speech recognition project, Babel, in collaboration with IBM Research and under supervision of Yann LeCun (Silver Professor at NYU and Director of AI Research at Facebook). This work resulted in my first paper, “Very Deep Multilingual Convolutional Neural Networks for LVCSR” (http://arxiv.org/abs/1509.08967), which will be published at the International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP). I graduated in May 2015 and started a research position at IBM Watson in the TJ Watson Research Center. I am extremely grateful for the financial support of the Francqui Foundation to enable me to start my career as a researcher.

Laurent SLITS (Collen-Francqui Fellow), Master in Business Engineering, Master in International Management and Master in Law – UCLouvain to Columbia University – LL.M. in Corporate, Financial & International Economic Law. During the academic year 2013-2014, Laurent was a Collen-Francqui Fellow at Columbia Law School where he received an LL.M. (Master of Laws) and was named a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. During his time at Columbia, Laurent specialized in corporate, financial and international economic law. He read Corporations with Prof. Milhaupt, studied Law and Finance Theories with Prof. Pistor, and Legal Philosophy with Prof. Raz. He also completed classes in American Contract Law with Prof. Thel, International Economic Law with Prof. Bradford and followed a seminar on the main issues on Global Regulatory Reform with Prof. Greene. Laurent wrote a research paper on the main regulatory issues associated with Bitcoin, a stateless virtual currency.

Delphine GRYNBERG – PhD in Psychological Science – UCLouvain – to Michigan University – Research Center for Group Dynamics – Interdisciplinary program on empathy and altruism research – Prof. S. Konrath – Postdoc. Res. on the effect of closeness on empathy of pain.

Thomas DERMINE – Bachelor in Political Sciences, Bachelor in Business Engineering, Master in Business Economics – *ULB *- to *Harvard University *John F. Kennedy School of Government – M. Sc. in Public Administration – General training on public decision-making process and tools. Graduate research at Harvard Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government on the application of ‘social impact bonds’, innovative partnership mechanisms to fund and improve the efficiency of social services in continental Europe

Thanks to the Francqui Fellowship of the BAEF dr. Maarten Van Acker could stay at Parsons – The New School for Design in New York. Under the supervision of Dean Miodrag Mitrasinovic Maarten continued as a postdoc. researcher his study of the interface between architecture, urban planning and infrastructure design. Research was conducted on the relationship between the urban history and contemporary challenges of the urban design, the urbanization of New York and the United States in general. In the first semester Maarten also gave guest lectures calledInclusive Urbanism: urban ecologies or Sunset Park to the Department of the School of Design Strategies New York, in cooperation with the Atlantis project partners of the KULeuven, IUAV and the TUEindhoven. In the second semester Maarten gave guest lectures on Theory of Urban Format Parsons School of Constructed Environments, in the Master of Architecture Program. During this year Maarten could also prepare the public publication of his doctoral thesis. « From Flux to Frame » will be published by Leuven University Press and Cornell University Press. Maarten was also regularly a guest at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia University as a jury member for the Master’s theses or interim studio presentations. Maarten also had a recurring section in RUIMTE, the journal of the Association for Spatial Planning and Urban Design. In these articles, he reflects about the U.S. planning culture and innovative urban projects.

Thomas DECLERCK – Master in law – KUL – naar NYU – L.L.M. in international law, with particular emphasis on corporate social responsibility – I have had the privilege of studying at New York University (NYU) from August 2010 until May 2011, and obtaining a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies. Needless to say, studying as well as living in New York has been a truly extra-ordinary experience. NYU Law carried my particular preference, for its outstanding reputation in the field of international law as well as for its innovative approach to it, and it has never ceased to amaze me. By constantly encouraging reflection and debate with academics and practicioners “from the field”, as well as among students themselves, NYU did not just enhance my understanding of international law, it has drastically changed many of my (mis)perceptions of it. Throughout the year, the university and its rich array of extra-curricular activites has exposed me to people and ideas that continue to challenge the narrative. Through courses such as “The Law of International Organizations”, “Law and Practice of the United Nations”, “Constitutional Law of War and Foreign Affairs” and “International Trade Law: the Law of the WTO and NAFTA”, I believe to have acquired a critical comprehension of international law, better understanding international law within the global arena as well as within the US domestic sphere; perceiving its strengths, weaknesses and its often surprisingly vast potentials for abuse. In some of those courses, such as an intimate seminar on the United Nations, I have had the exceptional opportunity to be supervised in own academic writing by eminent practicioners, all bringing in their own experience from the diplomatic and international legal field. In making my choice for NYU, I was strongly attracted by the flexibility it offers in its academic programs, allowing every student to shape his own academic experience. This has allowed me to supplement my program, specialized in the study of international law, with skill-oriented courses such as “Alternative Dispute Resolution” or “International Litigation”. In the latter, I have had the opportunity to brief, argue and judge a simulated case in human rights litigation, together with fellow students from all over the world, and assisted by international experts in the field. At the same time, other courses have brought me the substantive knowledge of legal disciplines previously unknown to me, such as “International Business Transactions”, “Admiralty Law”, and the law of counter-terrorism and preventive detention. NYU really is, as its pledges to say, a university in and of the city, and in and of the world. By offering an unprecedented array of opportunities and activities outside the university’s walls, be it related to the practice of international law or not, it has made discovering the “city that never sleeps” all the more attractive. Living within a community that is so diverse, I have met people from all over the world, some of whom I can now call true friends. I am very thankful to the Francqui Foundation for offering me the opportunity to live such an unforgettable year, and am proud to call myself a Franqui Fellow.

Simon DE STERCKE – Master of Electromechanical Engineering – UGent – to Yale University – School of Forestry & Environmental Studies – MS in the field of Energy and Environment

Daan STRUYVEN – Ingenieur de Gestion – ULB – to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – PhD in Economics – I had the privilege to start my PhD in economics while being a BAEF Francqui Fellow. This fellowship has allowed me to acquire deeper knowledge in economics during classes, to meet inspiring classmates and to launch several projects (on the role of government in managing liquidity and solvency of the financial sector) in the US, the UK, Belgium and Germany. The primary objective of the 1st year is to acquire extensive skills in micro-, and macroeconomics and statistics as the starting point for efficient later research. I also took field classes in Behavioral, International and Public Economics. In January I contributed to the project “Carry Trade & The Implied Volatility Puzzle” of Ricardo Caballero (the MIT Ford International Professor of Economics and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences). In the spring I discovered the astonishing availability and energy of the MIT faculty to think about students’ research. During discussions with Antoinette Schoar (the Michael Koerner ’49 Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance) and Michael Greenstone (the 3M Professor of Environmental Economics and former Chief Economist of President’s Obama Council of Economic Advisers), I launched the project “Leverage & deadweight losses: Belgium’s allowance for corporate equity experiment”. In this project I would like to estimate the financial instability cost to society that governments cause by sponsoring debt by using a natural experiment. Over the summer François Koulischer (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and I initiated the project “Central Bank Liquidity Auctions and Collateral Quality”. In this project Ivan Werning (The MIT Professor of macro-economics listed as one of the top 8 young economists in the world by The Economist) and Estelle Cantillon (FNRS Research Associate at ECARES) provided us with advice. François and I examine if central banks should accept low-quality collateral when lending to banks. We also study how central banks might eventually do this optimally (i.e. at which interest rates and at which haircuts). To benefit from the experience of experts at Central Banks, François and I stayed at Oxford University (with Prof. Paul Klemperer – who designed the Bank of England’s product mix auction) as well as in Frankfurt at the European Central Bank.

Julie VAN BOGAERT – Doctor in linguistics – UGent – to UC Santa Barbara – Prof. Dr. Sandra Thompson – Post-doc. res. in Linguistics – Spending a year as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) was an incredibly stimulating and rewarding experience that will continue to enrich my research for many years to come. I assimilated plenty of new insights, approaches and ideas participating in graduate seminars, attending colloquia, discussing my research with my sponsor, Prof. Dr. Sandra A. Thompson, and exchanging ideas and experiences with other faculty and researchers. I couldn’t have wished for a better research environment to work on my postdoctoral project on evidentiality than UCSB’s Linguistics Department, which, in keeping with its pledge to ‘unity in diversity’, at one level ties in neatly with my own research background while at the same time keeping me on my toes by introducing me to several cutting-edge trends, methodologies and research avenues.

Julie FAVRIL – Master in Law – KUL to NY University – L.L.M in International Legal studies. From August 2009 until May 2010, I had the honor of studying at NYU School of law, where I obtained my LL.M. in International Legal Studies. This University carried my particular preference, because of her excellent reputation in the field of international law. In order to get familiar with the Common Law system and the Socratic teaching method, we first got immersed in a course on ‘Introduction to US Law’. Subsequently, I could broaden my interest and deepen my knowledge thanks to the endless range of courses on European and international law. Throughout the year, I enrolled in extremely interesting classes on ‘Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflicts’, ‘Public International Law’, ‘Human Rights’, ‘European Contract Law’ and ‘European Union Economic and Constitutional Law’, all taught by the most prominent authorities in their respective fields. Moreover, in the context of the more intensive seminars ‘Transitional Justice’ and ‘Law and Practice of the United Nations’, I wrote two papers, entitled ‘Children’s right to remedies in post-conflict situations’ and ‘A six-prong evaluation of the Iraqi and Afghan sanction regimes’. Moreover, thanks to the flexibility of the program, I was able to supplement my specialized LL.M. with more general law courses, such as ‘US Legal Methodology’ and ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution’, both offering a lot of practical skills. Next to my required course program, I also participated in the activities of ‘Law Students for Human Rights’ and the ‘NYU Model United Nations Society’. In combination with NYU’s rich array of extra-curricular activities, and the cultural program in ‘the city that never sleeps’, this has not only been an extraordinarily instructive, but also unique experience. In completion of this unforgettable year, I will be reinforcing the Belgian Permanent Mission to the United Nations during the European Presidency.

Koen HOORNAERT – Master in Law – UGent to Georgetown University – L.L.M. in International Legal Studies

Erik QUAEGHEBEUR – Civil engeneer in Physics. – UG to Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh,Professor Teddy Seidenfeld– Post-doc. res. in the domains of uncertainty modeling, probability theory.My research focuses on the development and the use of theories for modeling uncertainty that are more expressive than the classical theories of probability. The aim is to create tools that allow for imprecision in probabilistic inference and indeterminacy in decision making when the available information is insufficient to obtain precise inferences and unique decisions. At Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Philosophy, I benefited from Teddy Seidenfeld’s extensive experience in this specific domain, decision making, and the foundations of statistics. The interaction with the other members of the department opened my eyes to the connections with social choice theory and formal epistemology. During my stay, my research focused on finitary characterizations of coherence for lower previsions (resulting in a paper presented at the Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence conference), desirability (resulting in a book chapter), state classification for imprecise Markov chains, and completely monotone outer approximations of lower previsions. Other professional activities included my duties as secretary of the Society for Imprecise Probability: Theories and Applications, and co-organizing a workshop at Columbia University, New York City. I obtained a postdoctoral research position at Ghent University that starts October 1st, 2010.

Joris VANDENDRIESSCHE – Master in modern History – KULto University of Minnesota– MA in History of Science and Medecine – At the University of Minnesota, he studied at the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology department. He participated in various research seminars, including the seminar on methods of research in the history of science (prof. Sally Gregory Kohlstedt), on early modern medicine (prof. Jole Shackelford) and on the development of germ theories in the nineteenth century (prof. Susan Jones). During the academic year, he also presented his research at the Midwest Junto for the History of Science in Norman, Oklahoma, and attended the annual meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) in Rochester, Minnesota. His master’s thesis, supervised by prof. Jennifer Gunn, focused on the manuscripts of the French surgeon Antoine Pamard (1763-1827), which are being preserved at the Wangensteen Library in Minneapolis. The research project examined the construction of professional identity in the learned culture of the early nineteenth century. In October 2010, he will start doctoral research funded by a Ph.D Fellowship of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) under the supervision of prof. Kaat Wils. The research project examines nineteenth-century scientific medicine in an urban context and studies the scientific practices and urban embedment of medical societies in Belgium, from 1830 to 1914.

Olivier van der HAEGEN (Landon T. Clay Fellow) – Graduate of Law – FUSL/UCL – to University of Chicago – L.L.M. in International and Corporate law – He spent the academic year 2009-2010 at the University of Chicago, where he obtained the degree of Masters of Laws (LL.M.). Unlike most law schools in the US, the University of Chicago Law School does not offer specialized LL.M. programs in particular fields of law. The class of foreign students is rather small, and each of them is invited to choose courses in the wide curriculum offered to American law students, allowing a tailor-made and individualized academic experience. Olivier studied the federal regulation of securities, took classes on corporate control, business transactions, and followed a seminar on international financial regulation and legal aspects of the financial crisis (the latter was given by Kenneth Dam, former Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury). He completed this education by taking courses related to both litigation and legal theory. He was introduced to the theory and practice of American class actions, he wrote a research paper in the field of international commercial arbitration, and he interested himself in Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence (taught, amongst others, by Franco-American professor Bernard Harcourt). He is a trainee at the Brussels Bar and works for the litigation and arbitration department of Linklaters in Brussels.

Vincent WENS – PhD in Theoretical Physics – ULB to Princeton University– Group of Theoretical Physics – Professor C. Callan – My researches focus on theoretical and mathematical aspects of quantum gauge theories, which are not only of uttermost importance in high energy particle physics, but also in string theory and pure mathematics as well. This web of relationships offers powerful perspectives and methods to study each of these areas, and is therefore a major research direction within theoretical physics. My own researches carried out during this year concern the generalization of the microscopic approach to supersymmetric gauge theories, that was developped during my PhD thesis with F. Ferrari. This is a first-principle approach based on supersymmetry, localization and instanton calculus (methods at the origin of – and inspired by – the connection with mathematics) to compute exactly certain path integrals. This formalism can therefore be used to derive exact results (including non-perturbative and strong coupling effects) in supersymmetric gauge theories, and check certain special instances of the duality with strings.

2008-2009

Lena DE MOL – Graduate Language and Literature – UGenttoUniversity atBuffalo, State University of New York – PhD in Linguistics

Leslie HERMAN – Graduate Chemical Science – ULB to University of Wisconsin – Post-doc. research in ultrafast Chemistry, in the field of the dynamics of chemical reactions in the femtoseconod time domain. My post-doctoral stay in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where the winter is almost as famous as the research, gave me the opportunity to join Professor F. Fleming Crim’s lab. The fundamental research I was involved in was dedicated to the study of ultrafast dynamics of compounds as stilbene and photochromic molecules, which are excellent model for the development of molecular devices. The femtosecond laser spectroscopy affords to obtain crucial information on excited state dynamics on a very short time scale, thanks to a three beam experiment, respectively a first infrared pulse, than a second ultraviolet or visible pulse, and then a continuum. This experiment, called ViMP, « Vibrationally Mediated Photoizomerisation », done for the first time in solution, could lead to address how to vibrationally control an electronic excited state dynamic.

Julien MARNEFFE – Graduate of Law – UCL to GeorgetownUniversity MA. or PhD in Conflict Resolution – In August 2008, I started a 2-year graduate program in Conflict Resolution at Georgetown University. The first semester was dedicated to core courses: Conflict Resolution Theory introducing the main authors and topics in the field of conflict resolution – from peacekeeping to women in peacebuilding and the role of cultural differences in conflict resolution; Introduction toConflict Resolution Skills providing a practice-orientated approach to conflict resolution through various tools, such as facilitation, mediation, conflict analysis; Multiculturalism, Democracy and Intergroup Relations addressing issues of conflict between individuals, social groups and states from a psychological dimension; finally, enfin, Negotiationsthrough which negotiation principles and strategies were introduced from a theoretical and practical perspective. I also undertook a introductory course to Arabic, which I pursued in the spring. The second semester allowed students to develop more specific expertise and skills through a large panel of optional courses in conflict resolution and related fields, such as: Managing Organizational Conflicts focusing on issues of conflicts within organizations, from private corporations to international organizations; Introduction to Humanitarian Crises during which I studied civil-military and humanitarian/military relations during humanitarian crises; Evaluation and Conflict Resolution providing an overview of tools for conflict resolution evaluation, with a focus on project evaluation; finally, Stability Operations which addressed the major challenges and highlighted lessons learned with regard to stability operations, from Bosnia to Afghanistan. Throughout the academic year, I worked as research assistant for Professor Lise M. Howard, from the Department of Government at Georgetown University. My research focused on peacekeeping operations and on US-UN relations. My second year will focus on UN peacekeeping operations, which will constitute the subject of my graduate thesis. I am considering undertaking a PhD on UN peacekeeping operations and/or joining the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in New York or in field missions.

Elke VANDENDRIESSCHE – Graduate of Law – UGent to University of Chicago – L.L.M. in Corporate and Financial Market Law

Pieter VANHOVE – Graduate Language and Literature – KUL to Columbia University – MA in Italian Studies – On May 20, 2009 Pieter Vanhove obtained his M.A. in Italian at Columbia University. Among other courses, he took the well-known intensive lectura Dantis with Professor T. Barolini. He also took part in a creative writing class with poet and critic P. Valesio as well in a theory seminar with famous researcher A. Compagnon (currently holder of the literature chair at the Collège de France). After obtaining his degree, he began an internship with writer and journalist Nina Burleigh of the Columbia School of Journalism. Together with her, he is researching a possible best-selling book publication on a notorious Italian murder case. In October 2009 he will start writing his Ph.D. on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s theatre. Currently he is also examining the possibility of a so-called “co-tutelle de thèse” between Columbia and KULeuven.

Marco BENATAR – Graduate of Law – VUBto New York University, N.Y.U. School of Law, New York – In the academic year 2007-2008, I pursued the LL.M. in International Legal Studies at New York University School of Law. During my stay, I devoted most of my curriculum to the fields of public international law and legal theory. In the first semester I took two courses, the first was an introduction to international monetary law taught by a Swiss visiting scholar, Professor Mario Giovanoli and the second, taught by Professor Frank Upham, addressed the relationship between law and fostering development in the third world. Besides course work, I enrolled in two seminars. In Recourse to Force in International Law, co-taught by Professor Thomas Franck and Professor Miriam Sapiro, I studied the role that international legal norms play in curtailing interstate hostilities. In addition, I wrote a research paper analyzing the legality of cyber attacks. The seminar Chinese Attitudes toward International Law organized by Professor Jerome Cohen gave me the opportunity to make a comparative assessment of Western and Chinese perceptions of the law of nations. My essay addressed the China-Taiwan conflict and possibilities for peaceful dispute resolution. In the second semester, I followed lectures by Professor Liam Murphy in which we read and discussed 8 great classics of modern moral and political theory ranging from Hobbes to Nagel. I supplemented my theoretical studies with an intensive course taught by Professor Jeremy Waldron on the concept of “Rule of Law”. With regards to international law, I took a comprehensive general course on the topic by Professor Benedict Kingsbury aimed at teaching methods for critically analyzing the law of nations and applying it to practical situations. Furthermore, I enrolled in a seminar taught by Professor Santiago Villalpando in which I studied the importance, functioning and work of the UN International Law Commission located in Geneva. For this seminar I wrote a research paper on the effect of armed conflicts on treaties. I partook in several extracurricular activities. In the context of the Research Associateship Program, I was matched up with Professor David Golove. This program allows for students to interact with a law faculty member in a meaningful way and gain insight into the world of academia. In addition, I served as graduate editor of the NYU Journal of International Law & Politics, a student-run legal publication dedicated to a vast array of topics in private and public international law. Finally, I assisted in drafting the second edition of the NYU Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citation as committee co-chair for European law.

Ann Sofie CLOOTS – Graduate of Law – KUL to ColumbiaUniversity, School of Law – New York – During this academic year, I pursue an LL.M (Masters in Law). This one year programme allowed me to specialize in the field of International Law and Human Rights, and area in which I would like to pursue a Ph.D. later on. During my studies at Columbia, I was able to take a wide spectrum of classes in various subfields of International Law. Last semester, my classes included Global Constitutionalism, taught by Professor Michael Doyle, who has been Under-Secretary of the United Nations; United Nations Peacekeeping, by Professor Roy Lee, who was Secretary for the Rome Conference on the International Criminal Court; Transitional Justice, by Professor Graeme Simpson, of the New York-based International Center for Transitional Justice, and a colloquium organised by Professor George Fletcher, with a variety of renowned speakers, such as Professor Antonio Cassese. This semester, I am following the Global Governance class of¨Professor José Alvarez; the seminar Transnational business and Human Rights by Professor Anthony Ewing; the seminar Globalization and Human Rights by the Belgian Professor Olivier De Schutter, who has been appointed U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. In addition, I am member of the Human Rights Clinic by Professor Peter Rosenblum, for which I am working on projects in the DRC. One of those projects includes advising the DRC government in their renegotiations of the mining contracts, in the hope of ensuring that the Congolese people will benefit more from their natural resources. I also work as a Research Assistant for Professor Lee. In addition, I am a member of the Graduation Committee, Class Gift Committee, and Columbia International Law Society.

Liesbeth DE BLEEKER – Graduate Roman Literature – KULto New York University

Bruno FORMENT – Graduate Sciences of Art – UGent to Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California – Los Angeles – From October 2007 to September 2008, as postdoctoral scholar, he continues his explorations on opera seria, the dominant form of Italian opera in the eighteenth century. First of all, he fleshes out chapters from his doctoral dissertation ‘La terra, il cielo e l’inferno.’ The representation and reception of Greco-Roman mythology in opera seria (Ghent University, 2007) for essays (e.g. article in Rivista italiana di musicologia, 2008; book chapter in Ancient Drama in Music for the Modern Stage, Oxford UP, 2009) and conference papers (New York, Portland and Los Angeles). He furthermore lays the basis for a study on the role of memory in the production and reception of Niccolò Jommelli’s early operas (c. 1740-57). His work has recently been awarded by the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Goldberg Early Music journal. Bruno Forment also receives support as Fulbright-Hays Fellow of the Commission for Educational Exchange between the USA, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

François GERARD – Graduate of Economical Sciences – UCLto University of California, BerkeleyDepartment of Economics – He could join the Ph.D. program in Economics. This first year of the program aims mainly to teach the knowledge and the mathematical and statistical techniques that will help Ph.D. students afterwards to carry out their own research well. Nonetheless, beyond the classes, he could enjoy the availability of the department faculty; with the support of Professor George Akerlof (Nobel Prize 2001) he could start to define a future thesis project motivated by the work of Professor Matthew Rabin (Clark Medalist) in Psychological Economics, entitled Contribution to the micro-foundations of the decision making process for environmental issues: social norms and procrastination. In short, the idea is to incorporate some psychological and social dimensions, too often neglected in economics, within the economic theories applied to environmental issues. Also, for a class in Economic History, he focused on the study of the corporate income tax competition between European countries, trying to understand why those countries started suddenly in the eighties to level down those rates. In addition, during this first year he had the pleasure to meet Professor Edward Miguel, a passionate professor in Development Economics (member of the Poverty Action Lab) and Political Economy, for whom he will work this summer in Kenya and next year in Berkeley as a research assistant.

Filip OOSTERLINCK – Civil Engineer Chemistry – KULto YaleUniversity Department History of Medecine and ScienceDuring my stay (August 2007 – June 2008), I have been enrolled in a one year Master program in the History of Science and Medicine. Before coming to the States I had obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering, a bachelor in History, and worked in the Materials Science Centre of DSM, a word-wide player in the performance materials sector. During that time I had become interested in how science policy and social-economic contexts (e.g. the current trend to environmentalism) plays a role in what kind of science is developed. Therefore I wanted to acquaint myself better with the History of Science, in order to better understand these trends. Currently I’m working on a paper on the ‘history of science policy in the USA’ and a master thesis on the ‘history of Green Chemistry’.

Nicholas SERGEANT – Electrotechnical Civil Engineer – KUL to University of Stanford for a PhD in Nanotechnology

Michiel VANHOUTTE – Civil Engineer Physics – UGent to MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT), Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) – He started there the graduate program in Materials Science and Engineering in September 2007. Within this program, he follows the Electronic, Photonic and Magnetic Materials option. This option focuses on the design and fabrication of new materials and devices through the understanding and control of the interplay between the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of the materials, their micro- and nanostructure and their processing method. This program leads to a PhD after fiver years. He is a part of the Electronic Materials Research Group (EMAT) led by Professor Lionel C. Kimerling. EMAT actively explores the field of silicon-based microphotonics, a technology that promotes the integration of electronic and optical devices for applications including telecommunications, computation and imaging. He is working on a project to develop a silicon-based laser.

Bart VAN WASSENHOVE – Graduate of History – UGent to University ofChicago in the Classics Department since September 2007, where he participate in the interdisciplinary ‘Program in the Ancient Mediterranean World’, which combines study and research in the history, literature, art and philosophy of the ancient world. At this moment, he is predominantly concerned with the fulfilment of my course and research requirements, in order to obtain his Master degree. Among his courses and research seminars, he can already mention: ‘Roman Stoicism’, ‘State and Subject in the Roman Empire’, ‘Herodotus book V’, ‘Survey of Greek Literature: Prose’ and ‘Boethius’. Further, in December of last year, he presented a research paper, which he wrote for his course on ‘Roman Stoicism’ (working title: ‘Shameful Grief: Emotional Rhetoric in Senecan consolation’) at a conference in London, entitled ‘Acts of Consolation: Approaches to Loss and Sorrow from Cicero to Shakespeare’. A revised version of his essay will normally appear in the forthcoming proceedings of this conference.

Eva WUYTS – Civil Engineer Physics – UGent to University of Chicago for a MS-PhD in Astronomy

2006-2007

Isolde BELIEN – Graduate of Geology – UGent to University of Oregon – Physical volcanology Prof. Katharine Cashman, who is considered one of the best in the volcanological community worldwide. She studies fluid dynamics of volcanic systems, focusing mainly on the physical interactions of the solid, liquid and gas phases in magma and how this influences magma movement in volcanic conduits and controls the style and explosivity of volcanic eruptions. Her research on bubble – crystal interactions in volcanic systems has already earned her an invited talk at an international scientific meeting, before the end of the second year of her PhD, as well as widespread interest from researchers in volcanology and mathematical modeling, and an inter-university collaboration.

Patrick REYNAERT – Electrotechnical Civil engineer – KUL – went to the Berkeley Wireless Research Center, a research unit of the EE department of the University of California at Berkeley, from August 2007 till June 2008. During this period, he was a post-doctoral researcher with the group of Prof. Ali Niknejad where he did research on analog integrated circuits for 60GHz, an important frequency band for future wireless communication systems. A 60GHz differential power amplifier was developed in a 90nm CMOS technology. Compared to the state of the art, the implemented power amplifier achieved a higher output power (+12dBm) and operated from a lower supply voltage (1V). By using integrated transformers, the chip-area was reduced to the bare minimum. The integrated circuit was presented at the renowned International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco in February 2008. Currently, he is an associate professor at the Catholic University of Leuven. Within the MICAS research division of the Electrical Engineering Department (ESAT), he is leading the research on analog integrated circuits for mm-wave applications, and the research on RF power amplifiers.

Hans SAVEYN – Dr of Applied Biological Sciences – UGent to DelawareUniversity – Cationic polymer adsorption and desorption kinetics from sludge. Synthetic cationic polymers are widely used in conditioning of wastewater and industrial sludges, prior to mechanical dewatering. An important class of these polymers, based on copolymers of acrylamide and quaternised dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA-Q), is known to be prone to hydrolysis, thereby releasing choline chloride. The adsorption and desorption kinetics of polymer were monitored in an extended study based on a model sludge suspension, together with the evolution in physico-chemical characteristics and dewatering behaviour of the sludge. The results of this study suggested that hydrolysis of the adsorbed polymer initially promotes additional adsorption of polymer from the solution phase, thereby improving the network strength and increasing filterability. However, hydrolysis of the adsorbed polymer ultimately leads to a weakening of the sludge floc network strength and deteriorating filterability.

Min REUCHAMPS – Graduate of Political Sciences – ULg – Was admitted to the Master’s of Arts program in Political Science at Boston University in September 2005. He took eight graduate courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In October 2006, he passed the Comprehensive Exams in Comparatives Politics, Political Theory, and European Integration. While in Boston, Min submitted two articles for publication. The first one, « La parité linguistique au sein du conseil des ministres », was submitted to the Belgian journal Res Publica. This paper is a revised version of his bachelor’s thesis. The second article deals with gacaca jurisdictions in Rwanda and was submitted to the international review Human Rights Quarterly. It is entitled « What Justice for Rwanda? Gacaca versus Truth Commission? ». A third article, exploring the relationship between referendum and European Identity, « Referendum as a Tool for Building European Identity. The Case of Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands », will shortly be sent to the electronic journal European Integration Online Papers. Since October 2006, Min is Aspirant du Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique in the Department of Political Science at the Université de Liège where he prepares a doctoral dissertation on Belgian, Canadian, and South African federalism.

Bernard SWARTENBROEKX – Graduate of Economical, Social and Political sciences – KUL to University of Harvard

Kris VAN DEN BOGAERT – Graduate of Biomedical Sciences – UA to University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute from June 1st, 2005 until December 10th, 2005. During this period, she performed research in the framework of a previously existing project studying gene therapy applications using Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPCs). As she was not experienced yet in culturing MAPCs, she started with a training session in order to learn all techniques required to isolate MAPCs from the bone marrow of mice, culture the MAPC cell lines and differentiate them towards mesodermal, endodermal and neuroectodermal cell types. After this education, she initiated the MAPC-based gene therapy research. The specific aims of this study are: (I) In vitro correction of the FANCC (Fanconi Anemie C) gene by homologous recombination in MAPCs isolated from a FANCC knock-out mouse; (II) Transplantation of the corrected cells in the FANCC knock-out mouse; (III) Isolation of MAPCs from the bone marrow of human FANCC patients and in vitro correction by homologous recombination. In order to determine whether the genetically corrected MAPCs will contribute to the hematopoietic system in the FANCC-/- mouse after transplantation, she first tested if this is possible with wild-type MAPCs. She injected wild-type MAPCs derived from a GFP-transgenic mouse into sublethally irradiated FANCC-/- mice. Eight to 10 weeks after transplantation she analysed the percentage of donor-derived GFP+ CD45+ cells in the bone marrow of these mice. To increase the obtained percentages, she further optimized the experimental conditions. These results are the basis for future transplantation experiments with ex vivo genetically corrected FANCC-/- MAPCs in FANCC-/- mice, a project that she’s continuing at the Stem Cell Institute of the K.U.Leuven.

Henk WYMEERSCH – Civil Engineer Computer Sciences – UGent to Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT) Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) (October 2005 – September 2006). During both the fall and spring terms he was a guest-lecturer for the graduate course “Statistics for Scientists and Engineers” at MIT. His research activities consisted mainly of supervising Ph.D. students at LIDS. His research dealt with algorithm design in digital communication systems for (a) non-linear satellite channels, (b) multi-user detection in OFDMA systems, in collaboration with Qualcomm Inc, and (c) localization of users in wireless networks. This research has led to a number of publications in scientific journals, as well as two provisional patents. During the same period, Henk Wymeersch also wrote the book “Iterative Receiver Design”, with an expected publication date of September 2007 (Cambridge University Press). He is also involved in the execution and evaluation of multiple scientific projects, both within MIT and in collaboration with other universities (such as Princeton and UC Berkeley). His research on iterative algorithms was recently awarded the Alcatel Bell Scientific Award. Henk Wymeersch is currently a postdoctoral associate at MIT.

2004-2005

Goedele DE CLERCK – Graduate of Literature – UA/UGent to Gallaudet University, Washington DC – I am happy to look vack on a fruitfull year that enabled me to bring my research on an international level and build a worldwide network of experts in Deaf Cultural Studies. Both in spring and fall 2005, I was guest lecturer in the International Development Master class « Community Development with People with Disabilities in Developing Countries », presenting my PhD researche on Flemish deaf empowerment. I hope to apply the knowledge that I gathered at Gallaudet University to contribute to the establishment of a Master’s program in Deaf Studies at Belgian Universities. I plan to graduate in 2007 and I will be proud to be the first Belgian deaf person to receive a PhD with a dissertation on deaf culture.

Abdul G. NOURY – Graduate of Economical Sciences – Dr. in Economics – ULB to University of California, Berkeley – During its stay, he has worked with Professor Gérard Roland (UC Berkeley) and Professor Simon Hix (London school of Economics) on the behaviour of vote for the European Parliament. The results of its researches are the followings:

– Enlargement and the European Parliament, 2004 (with Gérard Roland), in Campos N. et J. Fidrmuc (eds.), Political Economy of Transition and Development : Institutions, Politics and Policies, ZEI Studies in European Economics and Law, Boston/Dordrecht/London : Kluwer Academic Publishers.

– Dimensions of Politics in the European Parliament (with Simon Hix et Gérard Roland), American Journal of Political Science, 2006.

– Democratic Politics in the European Parliament, 2007 Cambridge University Press (with S. Hix and G. Roland). This book obtained the Richard F. Fenno Award 2008, which by American political science association is granted. Moreover he organiserd an international conference at the University of California, Berkeley „Legislative Behavior in Europe, US, and Beyond, on 25 and 26 February 2005.

Sabrina INOWLOCKI – Graduate of Classical Philology – ULB to Harvard Divinity School – Flavius Josephus use of citations in his against apion, Post-doctoral research

Valérie MATAGNE – Graduate of Biological Sciences – animal orientation – ULg to Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Portland Oregon – The project concerns the screening and characterization of overexpressed gene(s) found in patients suffering from Rett syndrome. The experimental methodes will allow a steady knowledge of molecular biology techniques and an integrative approach of the disease (from gene to in vitro cultured cells to mutant mice displaying Rett-like syndrome). This project involves a post-doctoral position.

Bob NAGLER – Civil engineer electrotechnics – VUB to Berkeley University – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Intend to do research in the field of High Energy Photonics, Particle Accelerators and Plasma Physics.

Willem VAN DE WIELE – Graduate of Law – UGent toNew York University, Law School – subject : Law – Degree : Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Cedric VAN DEN BORREN – Graduate of Law – ULB to Harvard University – Banking and Finance Law

Korneel VAN DEN BROEK – Physical Civil engineer – UGent to Harvard University – He will register for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics. Specialize in high-energy physics with a special interest for string theory

2002-2003

Arne DE BOEVER – Graduate Language and Literature – KUL to Columbia University, New York – English and Comparative Literature

Kathleen VERELST – Graduate of Law – UA and Catholic University ofLeuven to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Constitutional Law – Commercial Transactions – Property Law – Intellectual Property Law – Business Transactions.

1992-1993

Hendrik BOURGEOIS – Graduate of Law – UGent

Siska VANDENDRIESSCHE – Graduate of oriental philology – UGent

Rudi VANDER VENNET – Graduate of economical sciences – UGent

Stefaan DECKMYN – Graduate of Law – KUL to University ofChicago, The Law School Corporate finance, law and economics, law and literature.

Jacques LASUDRY – Doctor of Medicine – ULB to Department of Ophtalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Winsconsin, Madison, Medical School – Experimental retinoblastoma.

Johan MEEUSEN – Doctor of Law – UA to University of California at Berkeley – LL.M.-thesis

Piet VAN NUFFEL – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard LawSchool, Cambridge, Massachusetts – The Settlement of Trade Disputes in a North American Free Trade Area : How International trade rules can be enforced.

Filip ABRAHAM – Graduate of Economics – KUL to University ofMichigan – Macroeconomics consequences of negociations between federations and European consultants with particulary applications for Belgium.

Filip DE LY – Graduate of Law – UGent to Harvard Law School – Economic, financial and commercial law.